Considering South Point’s team balance during its run to the 2012 Gaston County Baseball Tournament championship, Andrew Locklear had no idea he was going to be selected the tournament’s most valuable player.

A year later, Locklear again finds himself surrounded by a wealth of talent on a Red Raiders team that must be considered the favorite to repeat its title this week. Locklear and the Red Raiders take a 10-0 record into the weeklong event that begins Monday at Sims Legion Park.

“It’s a fun stadium to play at,” Locklear said. “We go and we like to have a good time. As long as I relax and play my game, then it could be another special year.”

Locklear helped South Point make this a special tournament last year, batting 5-for-11 with two doubles over the three games. The infielder/right-handed pitcher also tossed five shutout relief innings — three in the first round and two in the semifinals for a save.

In the championship game, Locklear went 2-for-3 with a double and a run as South Point defeated Forestview 6-0.

That victory gave South Point a 15-0 record for the season, and the Red Raiders again carry an unblemished mark into the tournament (third time in a row, actually). They’ve made things interesting lately, though, winning their last two games by one run each: 3-2 against Forestview and 1-0 against North Gaston.

“We come out some games and we hit the ball well and we come out some games and it’s a close game,” Locklear said. “It all comes down to defense. As long as we keep playing good defense and keep pitching well, we should have a good season.”

Locklear, a senior and Charleston Southern signee, has done his part on the mound. He improved to 3-0 on Thursday with a complete-game three-hitter against North Gaston. Nine days earlier, he pitched a no-hitter against Ashbrook.

Locklear figures he’ll take the mound in South Point’s second or third game this week. Aaron Biggerstaff is the likely starter for Monday’s first-round game against Ashbrook at 1 p.m. Monday’s other games pit Hunter Huss against Bessemer City at 10 a.m., East Gaston versus Forestview at 4 p.m. and North Gaston against Cherryville at 7.

In addition to Locklear, five other all-tournament selections from last year return: Forestview’s Taylor Adams, East Gaston’s Jared Chapman, Ashbrook’s Sawyer Sparrow and North Gaston’s Garrett Lowery and Jared Wallace.

South Point leads all teams with seven tournament titles and 48 wins. North Gaston is next in the championship category with five while Cherryville is second in wins with 45.

“We’re always excited to play in it,” South Point coach Jason Lineberger said. “We’re just going to go in it and take it day by day and try to play the best we can.”